


He Didn't Have to Be

by Nomme_dePlume



Category: Naruto
Genre: 5+1 Things, Adopted Children, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coming Out, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, POV Multiple, Parenthood, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 12:35:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24849874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nomme_dePlume/pseuds/Nomme_dePlume
Summary: Five times Kakashi was a kickass dad, and one time Itachi and Sasuke actually told him so.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sasuke & Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 66
Kudos: 497
Collections: Extraordinary SNS Fics💕, THE naruto fic list





	He Didn't Have to Be

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Father's Day!
> 
> Inspired by the song "He Didn't Have to Be" by Brad Paisley.

“Shizune!”

Itachi, Sasuke, and Shizune looked up at the loud bellow of the woman’s name, waiting expectantly for the door to open. And when it did, it banged against the wall loudly, and Sasuke shrank away from the noise and huddled into Itachi’s side, hiding his face as his little hands clenched into the material of Itachi’s shirt tightly.

“It’s okay, otouto,” Itachi whispered into the top of Sasuke’s head. “She’s not angry at you. You’re safe.”

Shizune stood up and faced the woman who had entered. “Tsunade-san,” she said reproachfully, “You know you shouldn’t yell and make loud noises around Sasuke-kun.”

Tsunade’s narrowed amber eyes looked over Shizune’s shoulder, taking in him and his brother, and they relaxed in sympathy. “Sorry,” Tsunade said as she walked further into the room. “I thought you were alone. Must have lost track of time.” She knelt next to the table where Sasuke was still clinging to Itachi. “I’m sorry, little man. I shouldn’t have entered like that. I’m not mad. In fact, I have good news for the both of you.”

Shizune closed her office door and rejoined them at the play table. “Is it really good news, Tsunade-san? You did sound mad.”

Tsunade let out a huff and grunted as she stood so she could sit down on the nearby couch. “Well, I’m not mad at the boys, I’ll put it that way. But I just got off the phone with Dan. They were able to confirm that Hatake has been back in the country for three weeks. Which means he’s just been ignoring my messages.”

Itachi sat up a little straighter at the name, jostling Sasuke enough for the boy to pull away and look up at him with a pout. He smiled at him and pet his head soothingly, though Itachi wasn’t exactly calm. “Hatake” was the name of the man that everyone had been searching for since the death of Itachi’s parents almost three years ago – the sole, long-lost son of a nearly extinct branch of the nearly extinct Uchiha clan, of which there was now only Itachi and Sasuke, making Hatake their only living relative.

So, they had found him, which meant – 

“Looks like you kids are officially out of foster care,” Tsunade said as she smiled at them. 

Neither he nor Sasuke reacted to that – Sasuke, perhaps, not really understanding, but for Itachi, he could hardly believe that some distant relative with a penchant for dropping off the grid would be eager to take in two orphaned boys. Especially if he’d been in town long enough to have gotten word about them and still hadn’t done anything.

Tsunade may have sensed his doubt, as she continued, “Well, I still need to get him up to speed, so maybe it won’t be immediate. Don’t worry, though. It’ll all work out.”

Itachi wasn’t so sure of that, but he would reserve judgment. If Hatake did take them in, though, they could hardly expect father of the year. But if they had the basics and each other, Itachi thought as he hugged Sasuke to him, they’d be fine.

i.

Itachi shifted in his seat, trying to smile encouragingly when Sasuke’s wide eyes swung over to him. He squeezed Sasuke’s hand in his own, lying between them in the car’s backseat, hoping his air of calm would aid Sasuke in keeping his anxiety at bay. His little brother had his dinosaur plushie backpack in a death grip in his other hand, so Itachi leaned over toward Sasuke’s ear.

“It’s okay, Sasuke. I’m here.”

“Where are we going, nii-san?” Sasuke whispered back. Itachi looked up, casting his gaze through the windshield and catching sight of stretches of land with little development. They were outside of the city limits to be sure.

“I guess we’re going to Hatake-san’s place,” he said and caught Tsunade’s gaze in the rearview mirror.

She smiled at him. “Yeah, he moved out here to his father’s house.” Her eyes returned to the road. “It’s a bit out from the city, but it’s not a long drive. And the school buses do come out here, so you won’t be too cut off. Lots of room for you two to run around. And he has dogs. Do you like dogs?”

Itachi shrugged. He guessed he liked dogs, though he never really had the opportunity to be around one. They looked soft, anyway. He let his eyes slide to Sasuke, whose chin was dipped down into his chest and lips stuck out in a small pout.

“I like kitties,” he murmured softly, and Itachi held in a laugh, knowing Sasuke had never been around a cat in his life.

“Well, maybe Hatake will let you get one. You never know.” Tsunade laughed softly as Sasuke just buried his face against his backpack.

The rest of the ride passed in silence. Soon enough, Tsunade took a turn off the dirt road they’d been traveling, driving through an open gateway, and Itachi could see a large house a bit in the distance. He was surprised to see a Western-style house rather than the traditional Japanese house they’d grown up in or even the modern Japanese mansions they’d stayed in while in foster care. 

There was a carport to the side, under which sat a flashy car and a beat-up truck, and there was sprawling green all around, leading to a barbed-wire fence to one side – probably connected to the gate through which they’d entered – and a line of trees to the other. A short set of stairs led up to a wide veranda, upon which sat various chairs, rockers, and small tables, and it boasted a swinging bench at the far end.

As Tsunade pulled up behind the car, Itachi saw the front door open, and an extremely young-looking man stepped out onto the veranda, one hand coming up in a lazy wave while the other slid into his pocket. Itachi was filled with a bit of trepidation. No young man like this – probably a bachelor, too – would be willing to shoulder the burden of two young kids. This would never work.

When the car came to a full stop, Sasuke immediately unlatched his seatbelt and crawled into Itachi’s lap to look out the window. Tsunade told them to wait for one moment, and while she stepped out of the car and walked up to the man, Itachi continued to study him.

Though he still looked incredibly young, his hair was a shocking gray, styled up in a rather gravity-defying manner, like he’d been struck by lightning. He was wearing dark wash jeans and a thin black sweater. But his most distinguishing feature was the black eyepatch that sat over his left eye.

“He’s a pirate, nii-san,” Sasuke whispered with wonder and awe in his quiet voice, and Itachi couldn’t hold back a slight chuckle. Then they watched together as what could only be called an avalanche of dogs spilled out of the open door and down the stairs and began jumping excitedly around Tsunade. The man who would be their guardian chuckled and then looked over toward them, and Tsunade’s eyes followed. She said something to him and then walked over to the car.

Itachi pushed Sasuke away gently so he could unbuckle his seatbelt, ready when Tsunade opened the back door and ushered them out. Itachi stepped out and away enough for Sasuke to follow, and when he was fully out of the car, he helped him slip his arms through his backpack straps and pulled him into his side.

“Come on, boys. Let’s go meet him.” Tsunade placed a gentle hand on Itachi’s shoulder and waited until he made the first move forward before lifting it to brush softly over his hair.

The dogs barked and jumped excitedly at their approach, but with a muttered “heel” from the man, they trooped back up the stairs and sat obediently around his feet. “Stay,” he muttered next and then descended the stairs as Itachi and Sasuke reached them. He sat down on the last step so that they were no longer looking up at him.

“Hello,” he said loudly and clearly, a jovial smile stretching across his lips and making his visible eye crinkle at the corner, displaying obvious crows’ feet that made Itachi think the man was older than he originally thought. “Itachi-kun and Sasuke-kun, right? My name is Hatake Kakashi. You can just call me Kakashi.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Kakashi-san,” Itachi said quietly, poking Sasuke gently in the side to do the same.

When he didn’t, Tsunade offered, “Sasuke’s generally incredibly quiet, Hatake-san, and I’m sure this moment is a little overwhelming. It always is.”

“It’s okay, Senju-san. I didn’t think it’d be an easy transition.” Kakashi smiled at them a moment longer then looked over his shoulder. “Let me introduce the rest of the pack. This is Pakkun, Bull, Urushi, Shiba, Bisuke, Akino, Uhei, and Guruko.” He pointed to each one in turn and turned back to them with a smile. “They’re an interesting combination of rowdy and lazy, but they tend to stay near me, in case you’re not too keen on dogs.”

They all looked at Sasuke as he tried to stare around Kakashi to see all the dogs, and when he realized it, he turned his face down to the ground. Itachi pulled him into a hug as Kakashi chuckled quietly and stood.

“Well, why don’t you take them inside, Senju-san? I laid out some snacks and drinks, and I’ll just get the boys’ bags from the car and meet you there.”

“All right,” Tsunade said with a nod, and she ushered them up the stairs. The dogs hopped up and out of the way but followed them inside with excited yips and woofs. 

The inside left Itachi wide-eyed. The space was an open concept, one large room bisected by a large staircase leading to the second floor. To the right was a dining room with a farmhouse table that could seat more than their maybe-family of three, and Itachi supposed the kitchen was off somewhere at the back. To the left was the living area that boasted two heather couches and matching oversized chairs that squared off a wooden coffee table and sat atop an off-white, fuzzy rug. 

And it was a lot of wood. The floor and walls were made up of driftwood gray wood panels, both here and on the other side, accented by a built-in desk nook and bookshelves under the stairs. The French doors to the left led out to the veranda and looked over another sprawling field of green. The doors had been left open, and the gauzy, off-white curtains fluttered a bit in the breeze. A fan spun lazily from the center of the high-vaulted ceiling.

The dogs ran out through the doors as Tsunade led them to one of the couches. He and Sasuke sat down, and Itachi took in the platter of cheese, vegetables, and fruits in the middle of the table next to a pitcher of cucumber water.

“Nii-san,” Sasuke whispered, garnering Itachi’s attention. “We didn’t take off our shoes.”

“Don’t worry about that, Sasuke-kun,” Kakashi said as he entered the house, showing a surprising hearing ability. He sat their meager luggage down at the foot of the stairs and closed the front door before joining them in the living room and sitting down in one of the oversized chairs. He smiled at them. “This house has never followed normal Japanese traditions and manners, but I can invest in some house slippers, if you’d be more comfortable.”

Sasuke looked away shyly and didn’t say anything, but Itachi gave a nod in thanks. Tsunade sat forward on the couch opposite them and reached over to pour them all glasses of water. When she sat back, she gave them a reassuring smile. “So, I understand that even though you’re distant relatives, you’ve never met?”

Kakashi crossed one leg over his knee and shook his head. “No, the Hatake branch had pretty much isolated itself away from the Uchiha clan in the time of my grandfather. Obviously, we knew of Fugaku-san and his wife and children, but we’ve never crossed paths.”

Yes – there was hardly anyone who didn’t know of his parents, Itachi thought, as keen as they had been for the spotlight of high society, even if the Uchiha clan had lost its wealth and glory generations ago.

“But you and Kato-san have caught me up on the boys’ lives,” Kakashi continued, addressing Tsunade, though his eye was on Itachi. He nodded. “I hear you’ve been testing out with some higher-level learning, Itachi-kun, though you’re just thirteen. That’s very impressive. If you’d like, I have some contacts at the district high school; we can look into getting you enrolled.”

Itachi’s interest was piqued. His classes lately had just been so boring and unengaging, mostly because Itachi already knew all the concepts. Shizune had been having him take some aptitude tests online recently, which indicated that he had the capacity to skip some grades.

“And I hear that you have an interest in martial arts, Sasuke-kun,” Kakashi said. Itachi looked down at his brother, smiling when the boy shyly looked up at Kakashi and gave one nod in confirmation. “Well, I have a friend who teaches taijutsu in the city. Maybe once you’ve settled in and get a routine going, we can think about trying it out. Does that sound fun?”

Sasuke’s eyes had widened at the prospect, and he nodded eagerly and threw a small, happy smile at Itachi. Itachi returned it and looked up to see Kakashi smiling softly at them. Noticing he’d been caught, Kakashi’s smile widened to a grin, and he sipped at his water.

“So, boys, do you have any questions for Hatake-san?” Tsunade asked them.

Sasuke was silent, as usual, but Itachi did have a question that had been plaguing his mind since Tsunade had first told them the news. He nodded slowly and gave Kakashi a solemn glance before asking softly, “Why did it take you so long to get us, Kakashi-san?”

Kakashi looked stunned at the question, and after a moment, he waved off Tsunade’s stuttering attempts to apologize and sat forward, setting his water on the table and clasping his hands in front of him, his elbows settling on his knees. He gave Itachi a sad smile.

“That’s a legitimate question, Itachi-kun. Well, to start, I want to apologize that I wasn’t here when it first happened. I was out of the country for several years, and when I finally returned…” He sighed. “Anyway, I didn’t get you immediately because I wasn’t prepared. I was living in a small mansion in the city, so I needed time to get this house opened back up and in proper condition. Then I was making sure I had everything I needed for you and your brother, and here we are.”

Itachi nodded. He guessed taking time to be prepared rather than being wholly unprepared to house and raise two young boys was a good excuse. And it wasn’t like they were mistreated in their foster home. In fact, their foster parents had been decent, especially since they had been willing to take them both instead of breaking them up.

There was a short silence, and then Tsunade looked at her watch and stood. “All right, boys. I need to head back for another appointment. But I’ll be back in two weeks to check in on you.” She looked at Kakashi and nodded. “You all have a good evening.”

“Thank you, Senju-san,” Kakashi said as he walked her out to the car. As soon as they were gone, Sasuke sat forward and snatched several cherry tomatoes from the platter and popped them in his mouth.

Itachi chuckled and pat his head. “You could have eaten some while they were here, otouto.” Sasuke glared at him, but it had little effect with his cheeks bulging cutely from his snack. “Chew carefully before swallowing.”

Sasuke nodded and continued to chew as they waited for Kakashi to return, which didn’t take too long. He came back over and walked out onto the veranda through the open doors and gave a sharp whistle. Soon, the dogs all ran back inside, tails wagging, and he shut and locked the doors. 

When he turned around, he clapped his hands together and asked, “How about I show you both to your rooms to get settled in, and then we can eat dinner?”

Itachi nodded and hopped off the couch, bringing Sasuke with him. Kakashi ushered them to the stairs and let them go up in front of him as he grabbed their bags and followed. When they got to the top, Kakashi motioned to a door right in front of them.

“That’s the bathroom you two will share, but if needed, there’s another one downstairs off the kitchen and one in my bedroom, which is also downstairs.” He motioned to the left. “Sasuke-kun, this is your room.”

Itachi moved over to it to flip the light on and stared in wonder at the sight. Sasuke squeezed by him and let out a small gasp. The driftwood gray wood paneling was in here, too, but rather than off-white, Sasuke’s furniture was in black and navy tones with a plush navy rug on the floor. The bookshelf was stuffed with books and dinosaur figurines, and the entertainment system had a large TV and one or two gaming systems.

“Kato-san told me you like dinosaurs, but if you don’t like it, Sasuke-kun, we can redecorate.” Sasuke’s only answer was to rush to the bed where a real, stuffed animal plushie of his backpack was leaning against the pillows. He scrambled on top of the bed and stared at the plushie a few seconds before grabbing it and squeezing it tightly to his body.

Kakashi chuckled as he set Sasuke’s suitcase down. “Want to see yours, Itachi-kun?”

Filled with a bit of excitement, Itachi nodded and raced to the only other door on this floor, flipping the switch as he entered. His furniture was in warm red and brown tones with a brown plush rug, and his bookshelf was also filled with books and small models of the solar system. He also had a TV and entertainment system, but no game consoles. Not that Itachi minded; he could share with Sasuke.

“And I heard that you were a fan of astrology,” Kakashi said as he set down Itachi’s suitcase. “I ordered a telescope, but it’s not here yet. When it arrives, we can set it up on your balcony, and you can take it out into the yard whenever you want.”

Itachi could only blink owlishly as he made a small turn of the room. Not even their parents had provided them with things that had _interested_ them; no one could ever accuse the Uchiha children of being spoiled. This was-

Itachi inhaled sharply when he peeked into the closet. It was chock-full of clothes and shoes, more clothing options than Itachi had had in several years.

_This_ was what Kakashi had meant by being prepared. He’d spent weeks after learning about them getting all this in order – the house, the rooms, the clothes, just… everything. Like he hadn’t hesitated a moment. Like it was a given that they would be a family from now on.

“You just get settled in, Itachi-kun. I’ll let you both know when dinner’s ready, though you’re certainly welcome downstairs if you want.”

He watched Kakashi leave and listened as he descended the stairs. They’d only just met, and there was no guarantee that this would work out in the end. He might not wind up being their father-figure and raising them. But the one thing that Itachi knew without doubt was that Hatake Kakashi was, all things considered, a kind man.

ii.

Sasuke lie huddled beneath his blanket, silently praying that the storm would stop and go away. The rain and lightning were fine, but he couldn’t handle the thunder. Itachi told him many times it was only the clouds bumping into each other, but whenever he heard it, Sasuke couldn’t shake the memories of slamming doors and thrown objects that were conjured in his mind. 

It must have started thundering in his sleep, because he’d woken from a nightmare of those slamming doors and thrown objects, hot tears on his face. And usually he’d go find Itachi and sleep with him, let his big brother shush and calm him with words of reassurance and love – but Itachi wasn’t here. He was on his high school year three class trip, which left Sasuke to suffer through his fear alone.

Well, no, not alone, really. Kakashi was in his room downstairs. But Sasuke was sure the man wouldn’t want to be woken up in the middle of the night like this. Not that Sasuke had ever needed to in the two years they’d been living with him. He’d always had Itachi. But not now, and Sasuke didn’t know what he should do.

Another loud clap of thunder – louder than all the others – boomed overhead, and Sasuke flinched and whimpered, pulling his blanket tighter around him. The rain started falling harder, lashing against his window, adding to the anxiety building up. He could feel his heartbeat speed up, his breathing trying to match the erratic pace, and he was familiar enough with the signs to know he was slipping into a panic attack – made all the worse knowing that Itachi wasn’t here to help him.

A flash of lightning showed itself through the openings of his blanket cocoon, and Sasuke felt everything in him freeze, waiting for the inevitable crash of thunder that would follow. It came, but with it came a touch to his arm through the blanket, and he cried out and curled in on himself, immediately thrown back to the past, waiting for the pain. 

Instead of pain, though, the touch started a gentle, light rub along his arm, and it was accompanied by a murmured, “Sasuke,” the voice deeper than normal from the vestiges of sleep. Sasuke sat up and threw off his blanket, taking in Kakashi’s large frame sitting on the edge of his bed, backlit by the hallway light.

“Hey, Squirt,” Kakashi greeted, a sleepy smile on his face. Sasuke couldn’t even find the will to pout at the hated nickname; he was just filled with such relief, enough to push back some of the fear that had been clawing its way through him. It was still there, but now he had something else to think about instead of his memories and the noise.

“Kakashi,” he said, his voice thick with unshed tears. He waited for whatever Kakashi was going to say next, but instead of words, he found himself carefully and slowly pulled into a hug. One arm positioned his legs across Kakashi’s lap while the other came around his back to offer warm stability. Sasuke only hesitated a moment before wrapping his arms around Kakashi’s neck and burying his face in the man’s shoulder.

And Kakashi just held him, rubbing his back or petting his hair occasionally, and when the next thunderclap boomed, he shushed and rocked him as Sasuke flinched and trembled. And when he had calmed down, Kakashi easily stood, Sasuke held securely to him, and walked into the hallway and down the stairs.

“Where are we going?” Sasuke mumbled into his neck.

“My room,” was all he said, and Sasuke picked his head up out of curiosity. He didn’t often go into Kakashi’s room, as he only used it to sleep. The man was mostly found in his office or outside with the dogs or in the kitchen making them all something to eat.

Kakashi pushed his door open a little wider with his foot, and eight pairs of eyes turned their way, reflecting the small amount of light filtering in from the closed curtains on the far-left wall. Pakkun was curled up in Kakashi’s rumpled blankets atop the king-sized bed, while the others were grouped together on a large pallet to the right of the bed. 

Kakashi walked them over to his side of the bed and gently lay Sasuke down, pulling the sheet and comforter over him snugly before carefully crawling over him to the other side. Once he was settled, he reached over to pat Pakkun on the head and asked, “Was it the storm that woke you up, or did you have a bad dream?”

Sasuke bit his lower lip and clenched his hands in the covers. “Both,” he said eventually. Kakashi hummed but said nothing. Sasuke knew he knew everything; Itachi had said so, had said that Kakashi had pieced together the clues from Shizune’s vague information about Sasuke’s condition, the details from the various police reports, and Sasuke’s own behavior to paint a picture of what had happened. Kakashi had been a detective until only a few years ago, after all.

The silence stretched between them, the only sounds that of dog wheezing and rain on the window. Then it thundered again, a little softer than before, maybe further away, but Sasuke still jumped slightly. Tears gathered in his eyes, and he tried not to let them fall. He hadn’t always been afraid, but he had for so many years now that he couldn’t remember what that was like, couldn’t imagine not being afraid for the rest of his life.

“Will it always be like this?” he found himself asking, keeping his eyes averted from Kakashi.

“I can’t say for certain, Sasuke,” Kakashi said gently. “Everyone’s different when it comes to recovery.”

That wasn’t the answer that he’d been expecting. For years, he’d had Itachi and Shizune and Tsunade and others saying things like “It’ll get better” and “It’ll be okay.” 

“But I can tell you this,” Kakashi continued. “I also suffered from anxiety and panic attacks as a child. There were times I thought I’d never get over it, and that I’d always be afraid. But I didn’t want to be afraid. So, I kept at my therapy and tried other things to get me out of my head. I also had a therapy dog that would help bring me out of an attack when they happened. And I did get better eventually.

“But you, Sasuke, have something that I didn’t. You have Itachi. And you have me. And we’ll both be here for you. And if you don’t think that therapy alone will help you out, we’ll do everything else, too. Whatever it takes.”

Sasuke couldn’t help the tears this time, and as he cried, Kakashi pulled him into his arms, Pakkun squished between them. And it was nice. It was like when Itachi held him, only Kakashi could wrap him up almost completely, the feeling of safety and security multiplied by his size. It was like being held by a parent, and Sasuke squeezed the man tightly.

“Can I get a therapy cat?” he asked eventually, his eyes heavy with sleep.

“Eh,” Kakashi uttered, laughing awkwardly. “I guess we can look into it.”

iii.

Itachi could only watch in frozen panic as Sasuke tried to stay afloat in the raging river, clinging to a tree root that had grown out into it. He knew his brother was crying out for help, but the water drowned the sound beneath its savage rush. Then a particularly high rush of water fell overtop Sasuke, his head disappearing beneath it, and Itachi’s frozen panic shattered into an all-encompassing fear that freed his vocal cords.

“Kakashi!” he screamed, repeatedly, hoping the man could hear him since he didn’t dare leave Sasuke alone for even a minute. But he wasn’t sure his voice could be heard over the river. He didn’t know what to do. All his genius, and it was useless in the face of danger.

Suddenly, Kakashi was there, his hands immediately moving to tie a rope around the tree on the bank as he asked, “What happened?”

“He slip- he slipped!” Itachi said, his eyes dancing between Kakashi’s actions and Sasuke desperately clinging to safety. They’d only been gathering firewood, but Sasuke had gotten too close to the bank and slipped down, tumbling into the river.

“How long has he been in there?” Kakashi asked as he tied the other end of the rope securely around his waist, slipping it through his belt loops.

Itachi shook his head. Time had lost all meaning as soon as the reality of what had happened settled.

Without another word, Kakashi advanced down the sloping bank and to the root that reached out over the river. When he reached it, he squatted down and straddled it, his long legs dipping into the rushing water. And Itachi watched as he began to pull himself down the root toward Sasuke, his hands slipping every once in a while on the wet bark – he’d lean over to grip the root and then slide his legs down to meet his hands before repeating the motion until he was as far down the root as he could go without falling in himself. Then he pushed against the root to lift his legs, carefully maneuvering to straddle it in the opposite direction before twisting his back to glance down at Sasuke.

“Sasuke!” he shouted, and Itachi could barely hear him. “I’m going to haul you up! Get on my back!” 

Kakashi leaned over, his thighs gripping the root tightly, and grabbed Sasuke by the back of his shirt. He seemed to hesitate, maybe doing a mental countdown, before taking a huge breath and tugging mightily. Sasuke came partway out of the water, his little hands grabbing desperately at any part of Kakashi he could reach. Itachi was scared for a moment that Kakashi would drop him, but the man then leaned in the opposite direction, forcing Sasuke over into his body, and his brother slung his right arm over Kakashi’s chest to grab his shoulder while Kakashi used his left hand to push up from Sasuke’s thigh.

Sasuke’s left arm came up across Kakashi’s back, and Itachi let out a huge gust of breath as he watched his brother move to Kakashi’s back and cling to the man like a second skin. Then Kakashi pulled at the slack in the rope, working it around his and Sasuke’s bodies in an “X” pattern for extra security. And then Kakashi started the return trip, much slower going than before with Sasuke’s added weight, but eventually he was back at the bank and carefully dismounting so that neither of them went back into the water.

Kakashi used the rope to pull them up the bank’s slope, and Itachi met them at the top, his hands catching into Kakashi’s wet shirt to pull them back onto stable ground. Kakashi immediately knelt, and Itachi helped him get the rope off from around Sasuke, calling the boy’s name over and over.

“He’s probably in shock. We need to get him to the hospital,” Kakashi said as he pulled the rope from his belt loops. Then he picked Sasuke up and dashed back to the campground, Itachi hot on his heels. “Get in the truck,” he told Itachi as he stopped to grab the blankets from the tent and wrapped them tightly around Sasuke.

Itachi threw the passenger door open and crawled up into the cab, turning to sit and finding Kakashi there and settling Sasuke in his lap. Then Kakashi pulled the seatbelt around them both and buckled it before running to the driver’s side and hopping in.

The drive to the hospital was a blur to Itachi, the only moments of clarity being how tightly he clung to Sasuke, the boy shivering in his nest of blankets, and the phone call Kakashi made – because it was to a friend from the police force asking for an escort to the hospital because one of his sons had fallen into the river.

One of his sons.

_One of._

_Sons._

Itachi cried the entire time at the hospital – silent, heavy sobs that shook his body. Kakashi and all his friends that met them there thought it was because Sasuke was hurt. 

And it was. 

Mostly.

iv.

Sasuke quietly shuffled up to Kakashi’s office door but paused before knocking. His stomach was in nervous knots, and he didn’t know if he could go through with this.

The Skype call with Itachi had been nerve-wracking enough, but Itachi didn’t provide him food and shelter. Kakashi did, and his mind just kept skipping to the worst-case scenario where he lost both those things after this conversation, despite Itachi’s reassurances otherwise.

He’d just about convinced himself to talk to him later – surely, a better time would present itself – but before he could fully retreat, he heard a snuffling near his feet and looked down to see a paw reaching out from beneath the door frame toward his shoe. And then there was the unmistakable howl of a dog that had cornered its prey and was calling for his master. 

Or something less dramatic. 

But Kakashi did, in fact, react, as the office door swung open, and Sasuke was caught. They stared at each other as Bisuke slipped out and sniffed at Sasuke’s foot, barking and jumping up on his thigh to celebrate a victorious hunt.

Kakashi’s eyebrow cocked in question. “Sasuke? Did you need something?”

He shook his head quickly, followed by a hesitant nod. If he chickened out now, he would only be subjected to Itachi’s silent disappointment during their next call (and every call after and every visit, too).

Kakashi opened the door wider and invited him in, and Sasuke clenched his jaw and marched in, avoiding looking at Kakashi as he looked around the office. Like he’d never been inside before after living here for so many years. It was a rather spacious room for a home office, but the whole house was rather massive. The entire back wall was a bookshelf, stuffed full of books and knick-knacks from around the world. In front of it was Kakashi’s desk that boasted several monitors and various stacks of paper in varying states of order. The wall to the right housed a door leading to the veranda and backyard – an architectural staple for all the rooms downstairs, they’d come to find – as well as an entertainment center with a TV and stereo. Across from that was a large leather couch.

The quiet click of the door closing caused Sasuke to turn on his heel to stare at Kakashi, who only stared back for a moment before moving to take a seat on the couch. After a frozen moment, Sasuke joined him. Sasuke sat on the edge of his seat, back straight and hands clenched upon his thighs. Kakashi, either oblivious to or completely ignoring the mood, sat sideways with one foot on the floor and his arm atop the back of the couch holding his head up. 

“I take it there’s something you want to say, Squirt.”

Sasuke glared at him from the corner of his eye, frowning at the man’s amused smile. Sure, he had a rather lithe figure at sixteen, shorter than both Itachi and Kakashi, but that was no reason for the hated nickname to still be in use. And Kakashi knew that, so he only used it to piss Sasuke off, he just knew it.

“Sasuke?” Kakashi asked, his voice both hesitant and curious, after more minutes had passed in silence.

Clearing his throat and taking a deep breath, Sasuke turned slightly to face Kakashi and said, “I have a date this Friday.”

“Congrats,” Kakashi said with a lazy smile, but Sasuke could see some confusion in his visible eye. Kakashi scratched at his head. “I was, uh, under the impression you’ve been dating for a while, just not telling me.”

Sasuke paused briefly before shaking his head. “No,” he said slowly. “This will be the, uh, first one.”

Kakashi blinked at him and then laughed lightly. “So, your first date, huh? What? You want some advice?”

Sasuke scowled at the floor. He could feel the blush surfacing on his skin, and he clicked his tongue. “No, I’m not looking for advice.” He didn’t know if Kakashi would have the appropriate skillset to help anyway.

“Then…?” Kakashi led. “Was that it?”

Sasuke shook his head. “Um, no. It’s just… They, uh, want to come pick me up. From here.” Sasuke picked at non-existent lint on his pants.

“They?” Kakashi asked.

Sasuke hummed as he wiped his palms against his thighs. “Him. He. He wants to come pick me up.”

He held his breath, waiting for the explosion that he had been imagining since he’d come to realize that maybe girls didn’t do it for him. The silence was deafening.

“And you wanted to tell me so that I’m not waiting at the door with pictures of your ninth birthday where Itachi shoved your face into your birthday cake to show your date,” Kakashi said eventually. Sasuke quickly glanced at him in shock, and Kakashi shook his head while clicking his tongue. “Honestly, Sasuke, you won’t let a grown man get his entertainment where he can.”

Sasuke stared wide-eyed at Kakashi’s face, taking in the soft eye and easy grin. There was no tension in his body or voice, and Sasuke felt a familiar sting in his eyes as relief washed over him. Itachi had been right. But he had to be sure.

“You’re not mad?” he asked quietly as he pushed his palms into his eyes to relieve the sting.

“No, Sasuke, I’m not mad. In fact, I’m extremely proud of you, for having the courage to tell me. Though, to be fair, all you’ve really told me is that your date is a ‘him.’ In these modern times, that can mean a hell of a lot. So, tell me more. Fill in the gray areas.”

Sasuke let out a gruff laugh and dropped his hands to his lap as he finally sank into the couch in a boneless sprawl. “I think I’m gay. And he’s as anatomically male as I am, so there’s that.” He turned his head to look at Kakashi, who nodded.

“Good to know. And what’s his name?”

“Hyuuga Neji. He’s a year ahead of me.”

“And what? He can’t date boys his own age?” Kakashi asked in a faux-grumpy growl.

Sasuke snorted. “What? Being protective? Please. I’ve got a black belt, remember?”

Kakashi held up one hand. “No matter. The alpha will always protect his pack, especially his pups.”

Sasuke laughed, but he turned his head the other way when his eyes started stinging again. This was rough. Not only had Kakashi been completely cool with Sasuke’s confession, there he was again, talking like he and Itachi were his sons. He always said it so naturally, not in the least bit forced, like he believed it or something.

And it was such a wonderful, giddy feeling that overwhelmed him when Kakashi did it.

“Now, about that advice,” Kakashi continued. “I think it still applies to a guy, so number one: condoms. All condoms are not created equal.”

And the giddiness was gone.

v.

Sasuke had had about fifteen boyfriends, give or take a few, according to Itachi’s calculations. Of course, that number included those boys that hardly counted as such in Itachi’s books – for a fair few, he’d blinked, and the relationship was over. So, yes, the number wasn’t exact. 

Another inexact number was Sasuke’s sexual partners, though Itachi was quite content not knowing that number, as, he was sure, was Kakashi. Though, that didn’t stop the man from asking Sasuke about it every chance he got and giving him ever questionable advice.

What was exact, however, was the number of times Sasuke had brought any of these boys home to meet the family. Which was zero.

Until now.

Which was why Itachi found himself visiting his childhood home on a random Tuesday evening and watching Kakashi prepare what could only be called a feast in the kitchen. He reached across the counter and snatched one of the salmon mousse things from its platter and popped it into his mouth.

“Don’t eat all of them, Itachi,” Kakashi said, even though his back was to Itachi.

Itachi pushed off the counter and sauntered into the kitchen, leaning back against the refrigerator with his arms crossed. “This is a lot of effort, Kakashi.”

He shrugged. “He’s bringing the boy here. To meet us. To meet me. So, I figure he must have shared at least a little bit about his childhood, which I take to mean something special. That _he’s_ something special to Sasuke.”

Indeed. Itachi had come to the same conclusion.

“And since you’ve utterly failed in bringing anyone home yourself, I am going to spoil Sasuke for beating you to the punch.”

Itachi snorted. “Look who’s talking,” he muttered, though the raised eyebrow over his one visible eye showed that Kakashi had heard him.

Itachi and Sasuke had often wondered together if Kakashi had a significant other that he just hadn’t told them about, but neither one could bring themselves to ask. Mostly because they were both afraid of what that would do to Sasuke if the answer were yes and they were going to eventually meet her (for a ‘her’ they assumed it to be).

But Kakashi had never brought anyone home as long as either boy had lived there and never talked about anyone else. He’d spent their years together writing his novels, playing with them and the dogs, teaching them to fish and hunt and survive in the wild, how to fix a car and cook a meal, given them the means to learn how to defend themselves, and made sure they had anything they could ever want or need.

“Why did you never?” he found himself asking.

Kakashi shrugged again as he stirred whatever was in the pot. “You two deserved my full attention,” he said simply.

That had Itachi a little speechless as he swallowed a sudden lump in his throat. But it also led to other questions, as Sasuke had left for college a few years ago, leaving Kakashi in this big place alone. He cleared and asked, “What about now?”

“Well, I won’t rule it out, but I think I’ve got everything I need.”

They stood in companionable silence as Kakashi continued to cook, and then the front door opened, signaled by the pack of eight going crazy and a raspy baritone yelling out, “Look at the puppies!”

Kakashi chuckled and set the stove setting to low before wiping his hands on a towel and heading toward the entrance. Itachi followed.

Sasuke was standing next to the closed door, arms crossed, with a look of long-suffering on his face. At his feet knelt a young man with tanned skin and blond hair letting all eight dogs sniff at and lick his face. At Kakashi’s sharp whistle, all ten faces swiveled to look their way, and Kakashi dismissed the dogs with another whistle. 

The young man stood up and smiled sheepishly, showing off his pearly whites and baby blues. Then his eyes widened as he gazed at Kakashi. “Whoa, he’s a pirate!”

Itachi turned his head to snort into his hand. Wow. He had the same reaction Sasuke had. Priceless.

“Hello,” Kakashi said merrily, reaching forward to shake his hand. “Welcome to our home. I’m Hatake Kakashi.”

“Oh, hi!” the boy returned, taking Kakashi’s hand and shaking it heartily. “I’m Uzumaki Naruto. It’s so great to meet you!” He turned his attention to Itachi.

“Uchiha Itachi,” he offered, sticking his hand out, which the young man took.

“Nice to meet you, too!” Naruto stepped back, and almost without thought, it seemed, snuck a hand around Sasuke’s waist and pulled him into his side. “And it smells amazing in here, Kakashi-san! Sasuke says he learned how to cook from you, and his food’s so good. I’m really looking forward to it!”

“Well, he set the kitchen on fire several times before he got the hang of it, but he did turn out passable,” Kakashi said with a flippant wave of his hand.

Naruto let out a loud chuckle, laughing with his whole body as he squeezed Sasuke to him even tighter, and Itachi couldn’t help but laugh, too, which caused Sasuke to turn red in embarrassment.

“Go wash the dog drool off your face, usuratonkachi,” Sasuke mumbled as he pulled Naruto’s arm from around his waist and pushed him to the downstairs bathroom.

“All right, all right, you grouchy bastard,” Naruto said good-naturedly, and they disappeared together.

“He seems like a good boy,” Kakashi said as they made their way back to the kitchen. “I think tonight will be fun.”

Itachi hummed in agreement. “Maybe I should go get the photo albums from your office.”

Kakashi gave him a sharp grin and hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “They’re already in the dining room.”

Ah, yes, Itachi thought. Just your usual embarrassing “meet the parent” night. But Sasuke had to have seen it coming. And if he hadn’t, well… That wasn’t Itachi’s problem.

+i.

The nurses wheeled the woman out of the room, and Sasuke and Naruto were left alone with their newborn daughter. Sasuke could feel Naruto’s hand on his back, looking over his shoulder, as he cradled the squirming bundle to his chest. 

“She’s beautiful, Sasuke,” Naruto whispered as his other hand came up to lightly trail fingers over her cheek. “And she’s ours.”

Sasuke could empathize with the wonder and awe in Naruto’s voice, as it mirrored his own state of mind pretty spot on. After waiting for so long, they finally had their baby. And she was perfect.

All the worries that he had carried to this day just melted away as he held their little girl. Were they ready? Could they afford it? Would the child grow to resent not having a mother? What schools were the best ones, and could they afford to move there, if needed? What about their jobs?

They were just gone. Whatever came their way, they would handle it. They would do anything to give this little girl everything, Sasuke knew this for certain.

That was the example by which he’d been raised, after all.

A gentle knock on the door heralded Kakashi and Itachi’s arrival, and he and Naruto turned to greet them quietly. They both came up to see her and gave them their quiet but heartfelt congratulations.

“Well, you’ve officially made it to the next phase of your life,” Kakashi said with a chuckle.

“It’s gonna be wild, for sure,” Naruto agreed, but Sasuke knew he was ready for the challenge. “But I have Sasuke, and he has me. I’m sure we’ll be good dads. Especially Sasuke.” He winked at him.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and glanced fondly at Kakashi when the man laughed in agreement. “I’m going to be a _great_ dad, usuratonkachi. Because I had an excellent one myself.”

Kakashi looked up from the baby, surprise etched into every feature of his face – his wide eye and lifted brow, mouth open slightly in shock.

Itachi came up behind Kakashi and placed his hand on his shoulder, giving him a quick one-armed hug. “Agreed. You’ve been an excellent dad to us both.”

Kakashi’s eye misted over, and possibly for the first time since they’d met the man, he seemed unable to reply. Sasuke stepped closer to him with a small smile.

“Do you want to hold your granddaughter?”

Owari


End file.
